QOPH – THE TRIAL OF MALICE – Psalm 119:145-152

Each verse of the original Hebrew beginning with the letter 'qoph' serves to emphasize the sufficiency of God's Word as the compelling interest of our souls in the 19th stanza of the great acrostic hymn, Psalm 119. The theme of this stanza rests upon the vow of the author to uphold the summary commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5). Note the connection between verse 145: “with my whole heart I cry, and 150: “they draw near who persecute me with evil purpose”. The psalmist reminds us through his own testimony that trials, like that of malice driven persecution, are used for our good and God's glory as they move us toward whole hearted worship. Troubles have a unique way of focusing our attention on things that matter. In times of difficulty and suffering we are less likely to entertain the delusion of self-sufficiency. Our trials are redeemed as they arrest more of our heart to cry out to God. Our passage marks the 150th reference to the covenant revelation of God as the psalmist continues to extol the statutes, testimonies, works, promise, law, and commandments of Yahweh. May we be moved by our own presenting trials and the exhortation of Ps 119 toward wholehearted devotion to the Lord who saves His people from their sin and from their sufferings in due time.